CPD sergeant seen in jail beating video was also involved in wrong raid, body-slamming incident
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The CBS 2 Investigators have uncovered a disturbing past for a Chicago Police officer involved in a violent jail beating.
The officer, Jerald Williams, has been involved in several violent incidents that have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and counting – of which the beating was only one. As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported Thursday, not only is Williams still a member of the Chicago Police Department, but he has been promoted to sergeant in recent years.
We first showed you the video earlier this week. It was recorded in May 2019 at the South Chicago (4th) District police station, 2255 E. 103rd St. The video shows Damien Stewart being punched in the head repeatedly by officers after being arrested for illegally possessing a gun.
Stewart released the video this week and wants the officers involved fired and arrested – including Williams, who is wearing green in the video.
The city paid Stewart a $45,000 settlement for the beating.
"You see the video – I mean, they just struck me," Stewart said earlier this week. "I don't know why they struck me. I didn't say anything or make no aggressive movements."
Williams was at the center of separate Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigation for a viral video that showed him body-slamming Bernard Kersh to the pavement.
That incident happened at 79th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue on Thanksgiving Day 2019. Williams claimed Kersh spat at and licked him.
Williams is a trained mixed martial arts fighter, known in the ring as Bacon and Eggs.
"He picked me off my feet and slammed me head-first into the concrete," Kersh said in an interview with CBS 2 Investigator Dave Savini weeks after the Thanksgiving 2019 incident. "I could have been killed.".
Attorney Andrew M. Stroth represents Kersh in a civil lawsuit.
"I don't understand why the city is paying taxpayer money supporting an officer who has a pattern and history of using excessive and almost lethal force against Mr. Kersh - and then this most recent incident" Stroth said.
Williams was also one of the 16 officers who raided a wrong home in 2019, pointing guns at a family and ransacking a house during a child's birthday party.
The city has since paid out settlements nearing $400,000 for both the jail beating and the birthday raid.
The body slam lawsuit is set to go to trial this summer.
CBS 2 also previously learned Williams served a 15-day suspension in November 2021. The other officer in the 4th District lockup video, Enrique Delgado Fernandez, served a 10-day suspension in April 2022 following the disciplinary grievance process.
